In winning a second-consecutive MXGP World Championship with Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing at Castilla la Mancha’s final round of the 2024 season, Spaniard Jorge Prado further established himself as one of the very best of the modern era, adding to his pair of MX2 crowns from 2018-2019. After claiming 11 GP victories and 18 podiums in total across the 20-round series this year, the 23-year-old shares his Fast Thoughts on the season that was.

Image: Supplied.

Last year was the first time I became a MXGP world champion. It was my dream since already a long time to ever clinch the title in the maximum category, but do it twice and in a row, it’s not easy. It was a totally different season, this year, obviously the pressure was slightly higher as well because running with the number one all year long means everybody’s expecting you to win, but I was expecting the same for myself, so knowing that I also became a better rider, it also put a little bit extra pressure on me, because I knew I couldn’t fail, or I wouldn’t like to fail knowing that I had good potential in the tank. So, no, I’m super-proud because it was a totally different season, last year, all the riders were on track, so thankfully no injuries from the main rivals and this made it a very nice year, very competitive. I think probably the hardest year in the last years, talking about just the level of the riders. We were super consistent all year long and yeah, it was just another dream come true. Again, just getting the title in the last stages of the season was incredible.

The path to the title in 2024…

Yes, this year we have been very consistent, the three riders. So myself, [Tim] Gajser and Jeffrey [Herlings], we’ve been very consistent all year long. So already that we all were consistent, the key was to win races and I was the one that won the most. I won the most motos and the most GPs, so I think that’s at the end of the day, what made the difference in the championship, because we were all very consistent.

Standout moments over the course of the season…

Well, I think this year we had many good moments, starting with, in Argentina already with the win was like, ‘Alright, we started this in the right path’. And then we moved into Spain and I went 1-1-1 on the weekend, so this was something again ,we were super-proud about and it was just like, ‘If we can do it one time, why cannot we do it twice?’ And then we went to Riola and we did it one more time in the sand, beating everyone there too, and went to Arco, had the technical problems on Saturday, starting from I think 20-something gate pick and still won the GP. So there were so many moments where we said, ‘Alright, I think we are the right ones to get the title’. Just how good we were in some of the races where I had also bad starts, I don’t know, like Sweden out of the top 15 and getting the moto win, it was something incredible tough and we made it happen. We were just a better rider all year long and just in so many occasions I proved to myself that it’s possible, so I just have so many highlights in the season and I’m very happy to see the progress over the year and from last year to this year just becoming a better rider.

Image: Supplied.

Well, last year I was in a totally different situation in the championship. I only had to manage the points, so many of the occasions I was coming out of the whole GP with the most points, but I was just not winning the grand prix, so if you take the qualifying and the two races, I would be the rider with the most points, but maybe on the Sunday I wouldn’t be the one standing on top of the podium. But this year I had been going more all in for sure and also I improved on fitness, I improved on speed and so many things that made it that I could win more than last year, even I would say with more riders on track I was a better rider and I was able to win more, so you could see also in those statistics that there was some progress. This year we won a lot of races, a lot of motos, it was a very good year.

Delivering two MXGP crowns to GasGas with the De Carli team…

Yeah, so I stepped into let’s say De Carli in 2017 actually, but at the end of the season after Nations and then we start working October, 2017 till now. So we already know each other for so many years and it’s not just a relationship of just team and rider, but it goes more than that. I told Davide [De Carli] even on the weekend, he’s not just the team manager of the team, but he’s one of my best friends, so it’s something very special to win with him and the two titles with GasGas, Davide was the team manager of the team, so since that also Davide’s bringing good luck getting that spot let’s say, in the team, since he is the team manager, we won everything, so that’s super cool. We worked very hard. I feel like after so many years, we already know what’s working for me. Everything is easier when it comes to testing, to just how I approach the weekends, my training week and we know already so good our… we have already one system that is working and with the last years we put it into perfection and then this is showing at the races, so I feel it’s very important to have a great relationship with team as I have to get the result we are achieving, everything comes easier and it makes it super fun. Also on the weekends when you can hang around with people that you like, it’s very nice. So yeah, I’m just super happy that I could jump in 2017 to DeCarli and win four titles for them and… Well, not only for them but we just won them together, it’s nice.

MXoN expectations…

Well, after clinching the title last beginning in Spain, my goal is to have fun, enjoy on track if possible, if the rain, it’s not coming, should be a fun weekend. My goal for this season was to get titles though, and actually Motocross of Nations is just a race to enjoy the atmosphere, to enjoy with the Spanish team. Individually, I think I obviously go for the win, but I feel like a podium is quite on the limit for team Spain, but who knows? With good starts, good riding from all three riders we will see, but I think around the top five should be okay.